Transport Infrastructure and Modes of Travel

Essential Transport Infrastructure and Operations

Installations necessary for transport include roads, railways, airways, waterways, canals, and pipelines. These networks also feature terminals such as airports, railway stations, bus stations, warehouses, trucking terminals, refueling depots (including fueling docks and fuel stations), and seaports. Vehicles traveling on these networks may include automobiles, bicycles, buses, trains, trucks, people, helicopters, and aircraft. Operations deal with the way the vehicles are operated. In the transport industry, operations and ownership of infrastructure can be either public or private.

Rail Transport Systems and Infrastructure

Rail transport is where a train runs along a set of two parallel steel rails, known as a railway or railroad. The rails are anchored perpendicular to ties (or sleepers) of timber, concrete, or steel to maintain a consistent distance apart, or gauge. The rails and perpendicular beams are placed on a foundation made of concrete or compressed earth and gravel in a bed of ballast. Alternative methods include the monorail. A train consists of one or more connected vehicles that run on the rails. Propulsion is commonly provided by a locomotive that hauls a series of unpowered cars that can carry passengers or freight. The locomotive can be powered by steam, diesel, or by electricity supplied by trackside systems.

Road Transport and Urban Mobility

Road transport: A road is an identifiable route, way, or path between two or more places. Roads are typically smoothed, paved, or otherwise prepared to allow easy travel; though they need not be, and historically many roads were simply recognizable routes without any formal construction or maintenance. The most common road vehicle is the automobile; a wheeled passenger vehicle that carries its own motor. Other users of roads include buses, trucks, motorcycles, bicycles, and pedestrians. Automobiles are the main source of noise and air pollution in cities; buses allow for more efficient travel at the cost of reduced flexibility.

Maritime and Water Transport

Ship transport: Water transport is movement by means of a watercraft—such as a barge, boat, ship, or sailboat—over a body of water, such as a sea, ocean, lake, canal, or river. The need for buoyancy is common to watercraft, making the hull a dominant aspect of its construction, maintenance, and appearance.